Jessner’s solution
Jessner’s solution
Jessner’s solution is composed of 14-g salicylic acid, 14-g resorcinol, 14-g lactic acid, and ethanol up to total volume of 100 mL. By combining multiple peeling agents, the physician can provide the benefits of each individual component while minimizing the risk profile from any single agent (Fig. 78-1). As a result, Jessner’s solution achieves keratolysis and exfoliation with a good safety profile. It can be used alone as a superficial peel or, more commonly, used in combination with TCA as a medium-depth peel. As the solution is applied, patients may experience stinging and irritation, similar to a salicylic acid peel. The clinician should look for a mild frost, likely precipitated salicylic acid, as well as mild erythema as primary endpoints. If applied in one to three coats a very superficial peel is achieved. With more coats, a more pronounced frost and deeper penetration can be achieved, but is generally still limited to the epidermis.11 Overall the peel is well tolerated but patients may experience dryness and tightness post-peel in conjunction with the expected exfoliation. This peel is also titratable via changes to the degreasing procedure with acetone or alcohol. Variations in the intensity of the degreasing scrub or length of time allows for further customization of the peel depth.
Figure 78-1. Jessner’s peel: Pretreatment (A, B); 1 month posttreatment (C, D).